Authors note: This is a Mimato fanfic. Matt is about 19 year old and he lives in an apartment. Mimi is about 18 years old and still lives at home.

Disclaimer: I do not own digimon or any of the digimon characters that appear in my fanfic.
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THE WAY YOU ARE
By: Roaramon

I was a normal day at the Tachikawa residence. The family had just came back from a business party. The whole family was smiling and laughing as they walked into their house but as soon as the door closed the smiling and laughing turned into yelling and crying. "What is wrong with you Mimi." Her dad yelled at her. "I tried my best, what more do you want?" Mimi cried back. "I want perfection from you not your best. You best should be perfection but it is obviously not! Now get out of my sight you embarrassment." Mimi ran up the stairs and rushed to her room.

"She is trying her best. You can't act so bitter. You'll only make it worse." Her mom was trying to calm him down. "I am tried of her failing. Everyone sees me as one of the best and here I am with that embarrassment. She's part of me, so why can't she be flawless like me." "You have to give her a chance." "No, I have given her to many chances. I have had enough." He said as he went to work in his office.
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"I'm an embarrassment." Mimi cried to herself. "No one wants to deal with an failure like me." Mimi curled up on the floor listening to her parents. "I need to get away for awhile. I know I'll go to the park for a little bit." Mimi wiped her tears away and slowly crept out of the house.

She walked down the path in the park and thought about her life. She had lots of friends but with everything her dad had told her she stopped seeing them because she thought that they would not want to hang around with a failure. She took a seat on a bench. She had lost every one who she was close to. "But they probably hated me anyway. Their probably glad that I'm gone." Mimi thought to herself. She began to cry again as she thought about how no one cared about her. Just then she heard a small whimpering sound come from behind her. She stopped crying and looked in the direction of the noise. It was coming from behind the bushes that surrounded the park. She looked through the bushes and saw a small dog getting beaten by people on the street. It looked abandoned. It was very thin and had lots of cuts and bruises all over it. Mimi walked towards it and began to question the people around it.

"Whose is it?" Mimi asked nervously. "It was abandoned here a couple weeks ago and it won't go away." A man said as he took a whack at the dog. "No don't." Mimi said as she stopped him. "Why not. It's no good for anything so you might as well get ride of it." "That's not true, it just needs a chance." Mimi said as she place her hand on the frightened dog. "Aw just leave the mutt alone. Just let it die." The man said as he walked away. "I can't just leave it here alone." Mimi said to the dog as she patted it's head. "I know, I'll take you to Matt. He'll know what to do. He's real good with dogs." She said smiling at the dog. Mimi got up and called the dog to follow her. He got up and followed her with his tail waging.
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She walked up to Matt's apartment and knocked on the door. "I have not seen Matt in awhile. I hope he's not mad at me for not calling." She thought as she heard Matt come to the door. He quickly opened the door and stood in shock. "What are you doing here." He said smiling. "I have not seen you in a long time. What's going on?" He asked as he closed the door behind them. "I am sorry that I have not kept in touch but right know I really need some help." She said looking down at the dog. "He was abandoned awhile ago. I don't know what to do and your the only one I know that can help him." Mimi said sadly. "Well first of all it not a he it's a she. She does not look that bad for a dog that was abandoned. Most dogs don't last long when there abandoned like this." Matt knelt down and began examining the dog. "Where did you find her." "Behind the park. She was being beaten by some people on the street. I could not just leave her there. I hope it's all right that I brought her here." Mimi said as she knelt down beside the dog. "Of course it's ok. Well she's really weak and she has some bad cuts but she should be ok with some treatment." Mimi stood up and looked around. "Where's Steal at. I have not seen him in awhile." Mimi said trying to change the subject. "He's sleeping. Hey Steal come here." Matt called. Just then a big German shepherd came into the room. "Wow. He's gotten big." Mimi said as she patted his head as he licked Mimi's hand. "He's missed you." Matt said with a laugh. "Ya, I've missed him too. You too Matt." Mimi said smiling at Matt. Matt blushed and walked into the kitchen.

"Bring your dog here and I give her something to eat." Matt said as he pulled a can of food out of a cabinet. "My dog? What makes you think she's mine." Mimi said as she walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. "Well she sure likes you a lot. She has not left your side since you have got hear. What you don't like her." "No it's not that it's just I don't think I can take care of now. My parents would kill me. There already mad at me." "Why would they be mad at you?" Matt asked as he put a bowl of food down and sat down with Mimi. "Well lately they have been really mad about the way I've been acting. They don't think I am trying hard enough." Mimi said looking away. "Trying hard enough for what?" Matt looked at Mimi questionably. "Nothing, never mind." "All right but if you need help you know that I'll be here for you." "I know, thanks Matt. What do you think I should do with her." Mimi said looking down at the beat up dog. "Well you can leave her here I'll take care of her until we think of something." "All right that sound good." Mimi said as she got up to walk out of the apartment. The dog followed her up and Mimi knelt down to her and patted her head. "I'll stop by tomorrow. Take good care of Rose ok." Mimi said getting up. "Rose??" Matt said smiling at her. "Ya, I think that name suites her, don't you." "Ya, Rose it is. I'll see you tomorrow." Matt said waving at Mimi.
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Mimi walked up to her room and sighed. "I can't what until I get out of here." She thought as he laid down, but she could not sleep. She kept replaying the events that had happened that day. "I feel so bad for Rose. All she needs is a chance. Oh well I got to see Matt today even though we really did not get to talk much. I did not realize how much I missed him. I wish I could tell him how I feel. He's the only one who likes me for who I am and does not ask for any more. I wish that he would feel the same way. Well maybe tomorrow." Mimi thought as she began to fall a sleep. "No. I'm sure that he does not care about me. How could he like a failure." She said to her self as she drifted to sleep.
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The next morning Mimi's parents decided they'd go out for breakfast. On the way there they passed by the street where Mimi found Rose. "Thanks for getting ride of that dog." Said the guy she saw yesterday. "No problem." Mimi's parents looked strangely at Mimi. "So how did you get ride of it. Run it over with you car." He laughed. "No I just gave it some help." "Oh, well thanks for taking care of it." He said as they walked away.

"What's this about a dog?" Mimi's dad asked with a hit of anger in his voice. "Oh nothing. I just found a abandoned dog here yesterday. I took it to someone who is helping it." Mimi answered with fear in her voice. "Well I don't want you hanging around with strays." "What do you mean? All I did was take it to a friend." Mimi looked at him questionably. "What I mean is that I don't want you hanging around with deadbeats. That dog would be considered a deadbeat. It is no good for nothing. Just like that friend of yours. What's his name Matt. He's even more worthless then any dog on the street." He said sticking his nose up in the air. Mimi was filled with a rage when his dad said this. "He's not worthless." She almost screamed. Everyone on the street stop and looked at Mimi. "Your the one's who's worthless. You just don't get it do you. If your so perfect then you don't you understand." She yelled at her father. He stood in shock from this sudden outburst. She had never stood up to him before and he did not know how to react. With out thinking he smacked her right across the face. Mimi just stood there stunned by the shot. She turned and ran away from her father.
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She soon found her self at outside Matt's apartment complex. She had stopped crying so she decided to see Matt. "He'll help me." She said to her self. Her face was still throbbing but she did not care if Matt saw. She went up to the door and was about to knock when she heard barking and foot steps coming to the door. Matt opened and smiled when he saw Mimi. "She has been waiting all day for you." He laugh not noticing Mimi's face. Mimi bent down and looked over Rose. "She looks great Matt. I don't know what you did to her but I am glad you did it." She said stroking the dogs head. "Well all she needed was time." Matt said as he brought Mimi into the apartment. "Well do you know what your going to do with her, Mimi!!" Matt said anxiously. "What is it Matt?" she said worriedly. "What happened to you. You face is cut open. Did someone hit you." Matt said as he looked at the gash cross Mimi's face. She began to cry as she explained what had happened. "Well I'll glad you came to me. Now lets clean that cut." Matt said as he lead her to the bathroom with his arm around her shoulder.
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"I bet she went to see that idiot." Mimi's father said. "Well why did you smack her like that." Her mother said. "Well she should know better than to say that I'm wrong, and then to embarrass me like that. She's lucky she ran or she would have gotten worse." Her father said as he got into his car. "Where are you going." Her mother asked. "I am going to get her back. She is not going to embarrass me like and get away with that." He said as he sped off towards Matt's apartment.
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"That looks much better Mimi." "Thanks Matt." Mimi said smiling as they walked out of the bathroom. They sat down on the sofa as their dogs came up to them. Mimi pulled Rose up and laid her head on Mimi's lap. Steal just sat at Matt's feet and Matt stroked his head. "Well I'm glad Rose is all right." Mimi sighed. "Ya, she a strong one." Just then there was a knock at the door. "Now who could that be." Matt said as he got up. Steal also got up and followed him to the door. "Oh, hi, nice to see you again Mr. Tachikawa." Matt said politely. "Save it you jerk. Now where's Mimi?" he said as he pushed Matt out of the way. Steal jumped in font of him and growled. "Steal get back." Matt said. Steal returned by Matt's side but kept growling at Mimi's dad. "There you are. I had a feeling you'd run to a bunch of buffoons. Oh is that the worthless dog I've heard so much about." He said pointing to Rose. Matt did not know what to do. Before he knew it Mimi's father was forcing her out of the apartment and into his car. "No, let me go dad." Mimi said as she struggled to get away. "That's the last time you embarrass me." He said as he shut the door.
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They drove in silence until her dad began scolding her again. "I don't know what you see in that jerk." He said. "He's not a jerk dad. He's really sweet." She said as see looked out the window. "Well I guess you would like him. You both failures." Tears were now forming in Mimi's eyes. "He's not a failure. I'm not a failure." she screamed at him with tears rolling down her checks. "You would know. You have no idea how much you embarrass me everyday. You as worthless as that dog." He stopped at a red light by the park. Mimi opened the door and ran out of the car. "Fine don't bother coming home. Your 18. We don't have to take care of you anymore. We did our time the law requires so there's no way you'll be able to come back to embarrass me anymore." Then he sped off, running the red light.
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"Hello, Mrs. Tachikawa is Mimi there?" "No her father went to find her but he has not come back yet. Oh wait he just walked in now." Matt could her them in the background. "Did you find her. Matt want's to talk to her." "Well he won't find her hear any more." "What are you talking about?" "I told her not to show her ugly face around her anymore. We won't have to deal with that embarrassment any more." "Where is she?" "She ran out of the car around the park. It does not matter though. If I ever see her again she won't live to see the next day." After hearing that Matt hung up. "Steal, Rose come on, were going to find Mimi. Matt leashed both dogs and began to walk towards the park.
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"I'm just a failure. No one wants me." She said to her self as she ran though the trail in the woods. But soon she ran off the trail and became lost. "Oh great. Well at lease every one will be happy with me gone." She sat down behind a large tree and cried her self to sleep.
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"Come on We'll find her." Matt said as both dogs lead him to the woods. "So I guess she's in there. Lets go." The dogs lead Matt down the trail Mimi had followed but then they turned off the trail and lead him deeper into the woods. By this time Matt had taken the dogs off the leashes so they would not get tangled up in the brush. He followed them until they stopped in a clearing. They sat down and waited for Matt. Matt looked around. All that was there was a big tree in the middle of the clearing. "Well I guess we lost her trail." Matt said to the dogs. Steal and Rose began walking back towards the trail. "Stay on the trail you two." Matt knew that they would not wonder off.
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Mimi woke up to the sounds of branches breaking and crumbling leaves. "Someone's coming." She said as she ran behind the tree. The she hear a familiar voice. "Well I guess we lost her trail." "It's Matt." She whispered to her self. She remand hidden on the other side of the tree.
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"I wish we would find her. After what just happened and what I heard over the phone, I don't blame her for running. I hope she's all right." Matt said as he leaned against the tree. Matt looked up and decided to climb the tree to get a better view. Mimi heard branches creaking and leave rustling. She thought Matt had left her. "I can't believe he came all the way out here for me." Mimi whispered to herself. Matt heard her and started to slowly and quietly climb back down. He listened to her. "Maybe he really does care about me." Matt could not believe what he just heard. "Of course I care about you." Mimi looked up in shock. "Matt!!" she almost yelled. "Are you ok." Matt asked. "Ya, I just got lost. I can't even walk down a stupid trail. No wonder my dad called me a failure." she looked down as tears formed in her eyes. "Your no failure. Don't you ever say that about you self." Matt said extending a hand to help Mimi climb up the tree with him. Mimi looked up wiping the tears from her eyes and took his hand. He helped her climb up to where he was and they sat next to each other. "So what happened Mimi?" Matt asked looking into her eyes. "I don't even know what happened. All I remember is him calling you a jerk and telling me I'm a failure. The I just ran." She was crying again. Matt put his arm around her to comfort her. "Then what happened." Matt asked softly. "Well then he told me that he never wanted to see me again and he left. Then I came hear and you found me." She said wiping her eyes. "Well I am glad I found you. I was getting worried that I would not find you." "Really? Why would you want to find me. I'm a failure." she said looking down sadly. "Now what did I tell you. Your not a failure. You want to know who is." Matt said as he put is hand on hers. "Your dad is. If he really know how special you were he would have never let you go." Mimi looked up at Matt strangely. "You really think I'm special." Mimi said looking into Matt's eyes. "Of course I do. If I don't I would not be here now right." He said playfully. "Right." She said with a laugh. "And if you want to know why I wanted to find you, you'll have to catch me first."

Matt laugh as he quickly climb higher up the tree. Mimi laugh and began to follow him. He was faster than Mimi but she was more agile. Mimi kept catching up to Matt but he would just dodge her and climb higher. Just as Mimi was about to grab Matt she slipped and began to fall. "Got'ya" Matt said as he grabbed Mimi and stopped her from falling. He pulled he up and held he close. "No, I got you." She said while laughing. "And now that I caught you why did you want to find me." She said looking deep into his bright blue eyes. "I wanted to find you so I could hold you." He said staring back at her. "I love you Mimi." He said as he pulled her close. "Oh Matt, I love you too." She said as she pulled him into a kiss. "I am glad you caught me." Matt said as they pulled apart. "It's getting dark we'd better get home." Matt said as he began climbing down. "Ya, but where am I going to go. My dad never wants to see me again." She said as she jumped into Matt's arms. "Like I said we're going home." He said smiling at her. Steal and Rose came up to them and they began to walk home "Thanks Matt. Your the best." she whispered to Matt as she laid her head on his shoulder. "No I'm not. I'm just lucky." He said as put his arm around her and pulled her closer. "Well at least I not a complete failure." Mimi said as they walked towards Matt's apartment. "You not a failure, your prefect."